Frank g



(No Model.) y 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. P. G. ECHOLS.

SAL'ISPBNDING DEVICE FOR LAMPS. No. 544,505. Patented Aug. 13, 1895.

(No Model.)

F. G. ECHO LS. SUSPENDING DEVICE PoR LAMPS.

Patented Aug. 13,1895.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK G. ECHOLS, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE PLUME laATWOOD MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

sUsPENDlNc DEfvlcE FoR LAMPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 544,505, dated August13, 1895.

Application led October 8, 1894.

,To all whom it may camera:

Beit known that I, FRANK G. ECHOLS, of Wlaterbury,` in the county of NewHaven, State of Connecticut, have invented an .Im-j provement inSuspending Devices for Lamps, of which the following is aspecification'. l

The suspending devices which have heretofore been provided for oil-lampshave usually had a spring sufficiently strong for vsupporting the Weightof the lamp or other article and a pawl or other blocking device to actin preventing rotation of the spring-barrel, and thereby holding thelamp in a given position, and in some instances the pawl or blockingdevice has been thrown out of action by moving the lam-p laterally inone direction or another. t

The present invention is made for simplifying the construction of theparts and lessening their expense, and at the same time for allowing thelamp or other device to be drawn up or down with rapidity and withoutinterruption and for reliably holding the parts in any given position bythe action of a ball that is caused to roll in between a stationary and'a moving part of the fixture, and thereby prevent the spring drawing upthe lamp untilsuch lamp has been slightly drawnV down, to relieve thepressure upon the ball and allow it to roll out of. the way and permitthe rotation of the spring-barrel in one direction or the other.

In the drawings, Figure l is a plan View, partially in section,representing the improvement with the ball in position for preventingthe rotation of the spring-barrel. Fig. 2 is a section of the line a: :cof Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the spring-barrel andyoke at right angles to Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view belowthe line y y, Fig. 3, showing also a guide-finger as added to the hub ofthe spring barrel head; and Fig. 5 is a diagram of a modification.

The yoke A is usually provided with a bail or hook A', and the axis B ofthe spring-barrel C is supported by the yoke, and there are sheaves orrollers D, over which pass the chains E, that descend through the crownor cap G to the cross-bar H, to which the lamp VSerial No. 525,200. (Nomodel.)

or other article to be suspended is hooked or otherwise connected, andthe upper ends of the chain E are fastened to the exterior surface ofthe spring-barrel C, as is usual in lampsupports that have heretoforebeen made, and it is to be lunderstood that the strength of the springisto be suflicient for supporting the weight of the lamp and for drawingthe same up when not otherwise acted upon.

vTheiupper end or head I of the spring-barrel is made with an internalratchet, the b'ottorn plate 2 of which may be slightly concave, and therim is made asaseries of steps or internal ratchet-teeth 3,and there isa ball K, preferably of hard metal, that is free to roll upon the bottomplate 2 'of the internal ratchet 3, and when out of action the ballrolls toward the center portion of the plate 2,

Vbut when thrown outwardly, either by centrifugal action or by thetipping of the axis of the spring-barrel, by a lateral movement given tothe lamp, the ball K rolls into one of the internal ratchet-teeth 3 ofthe rim and inter-k venes between the same and the stop L upon the yokeA, so that the further movement of the spring and barrel is effectuallyprevented, and the parts held by the pressure of the spring until suchpressure is removed by pulling down the lamp and allowing the ball toroll toward the middle of the bottom plate 2.

The stop L is connected with the yoke A, preferably by a plate extendingacross over the ball to the cross-bar of the yoke, the stop L being aflange depending from the plate L', and the downwardly-projectingflanges N are advantageously employed below the yoke A and within theinternal ratchet, so as to coniine 4the ball Kapproximately to ytheposition where itcomes into operation; and it will now be understoodthat when the lamp is drawn down the ball K remains upon 'the bottomplate 2 near the middle portion'thereof, and the lamp can be freelyraised or lowered so long as the ball remains near the middle portion ofthe bottom plate 2; but should the lamp'be moved upwardly withsufficient speed for the centrifugal force of the rotating internalratchet to throw the ball K outwardly, it

3 of the rim and forms an effectual block between such ratchet-tooth andstop L, thus preventing the lamp being drawn upwardly with rapidityshould the hold upon the lamp be lessened; and when manipulating thelamp by hand it is advantageous to draw the same down to the desiredplace and move the lamp laterally,so that the ball rolls in between oneof the internal ratchetteeth 3 of the rim and the stop L, and byallowing the spring to draw up the lamp slightly said ball is clampedvand held in position, so that it cannot escape until the lamp has beendrawn down again slightly; and when the lamp is to be elevated it isonly necessary to apply sufficient force in pulling the lamp down toliberate the ball K, so that it will roll toward the middle part of thebottom plate 2 and remain out of action while the lamp or other articleis moved up or down. t

It is advantageous to cast the arbor B and the lower part ll of theyoke-frame and the vertical standards 12 all in one, as shown in Fig. 3,and to slot the arbor for theinner end of the spring, so that the barrelC can be put in place around the arbor B and then the spring be insertedinto the barrel, and the head or top plate I ot' the spring-barrel isthen placed around the arbor B and the lugs 13.0f the spring-barrel passinto mortises in this head I.

The top bar or yoke A has a central hole for the arbor B, and when putin place its ends receive the upper ends of the standards 12. Thecapi-piece 14 is now placed upon the arbor B with theinwardly-projecting ends of the bail A in notches in its' under side,and a cross pin or bow'l is passed through a hole or notches in thearbor B and secures all the parts together in the most reliable manner,and there is but little laborin finishing and assembling the parts, andthe bail can be turned down to lessen the space occupied in packing thesuspending device for transportation. In some instances a guide-finger Ois` used, the same being formed of a strip of metal extending nearlyradially and having a spring eye or coil around the hub of thespring-barrel head, so that when the barrel is rotated in drawing thelamp down the guide-finger O is against the flange N and the hub of thehead turns in its eye, and when the spring is acting to draw up the lampthe guide O is moved by friction against the end ot the Iiange L. Hencethe ball is kept out of action except when the parts are tipped after aslight downward movement has been given to move the guide-finger awayfrom the end of the tiange L and allow the ball to roll outwardly, andthe linger O will then rest against the ball, as shown in Fig. 4, whilethe ball forms the stop between the end of L and the internal ratchet 3.

In cases where the ratchet-teeth are around the hub of the cylinder-headthe ball will act as a stop between the same and the iiange L when theball is rolled toward the centenas illustrated in the diagram Fig. 5.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination with a spring barrel having avertical axis, of a nearly level suri tace, a ball adapted to roll uponthat surface,

a stationary angular stop and a tooth or angular stop moving with thespring barrel and adapted to clear the stationary stop when the springbarrel is rotated, the ball acting to arrest the movement of the springbarrel when rolled in between the stationary and moving stop,substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a yoke frame having a central pin and asuspending device at the upper end, of a spring surrounding the pin, abarrel with which the outer end ot the spring is connected, and chainsor cords eX- tending to the article to be suspended and connected to andwound upon the spring barrel,

a nearly fiat head for the upper end of the spring barrel, and asurrounding rim provided with internal ratchet teeth, a stop connectedwith the yoke frame and extending down within the rim of the head butout of contact with the ratchet teeth, and a ball upon the head adaptedto intervene between the ratchet teeth and the stationary stop forarresting the Inovement of the spring barrel, substantially as setforth.

3. The combination with a suspending de# vice and a spring barrel, ofanearly tlat head to the spring barrel, a ball upon such` head, astationary stop connected with the suspending device, teeth that arerotated with the spring barrel but out of contact with the stationarystop, the rotation of the parts being arrested when the ball intervenesbetween the stationary and moving parts, substantially as set forth..

4t. The combination with a spring barrel and suspending devices, of astationary stop-upon 4the suspending devices, a nearly level plate orhead connected with the spring barrel and having a surrounding rim withinwardlyprojectin g ratchet teeth that arefree to be moved withoutcoming in contact with the stationary stop, a ball upon the head adaptedto roll in between the stop and the ratchet teeth for arresting themovement of the spring barrel, and flanges for retaining the ball in itsproper position, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with the yoke frame having a central pin and asuspending device, ot a volute spring the inner end of which is engagedby the central pin, a spring barrel surrounding and rotating upon thecentral pin and connected with the outer end ofthe spring, cords orchains to the article to be suspended and pulleys over which they pass,a nearly level top head to the spring barrel having a rim around itsedge with inwardly projecting ratchet teeth, a ball resting upon thistop head, and a stationary stop connected with the cross bar of the yokeand extending down withinv teeth and stop, and a. guide Vfinger moved bythe rim and with which stop the ball comes the spring barrel,substantially as specified. xo into contact when arresting the movementof Signed by me this 1st day of October, 1894. the ratchet teeth andspring barrel, substan- 3 tially as set forth. F. G. ECHOLS.

6. The combination wit-h the spring barrel, Witnesses: i

circular ratchet, stationary stop and suspend- J. H. HURLBUT, ingdevices, of a ball to engage the ratchet L. J. ATWOOD.

